Loss
by Storybookgirl77
Summary: Set in present day London. Gene is struggling to cope with three kids, CID and the possibility of being a widower. Where is Alex? Is she still alive? Can the team find her? Will they ever find out what happened to her and what connection does the mystery victim have to Alex and Gene?
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer _ I don't own Life on Mars or Ashes to Ashes. All copyright belongs to Kudos productions and BBC Television. No copyright is intended nor should be inferred.

Loss

A/N was thinking I'd write another Ashes /LOM Fic. Does any one still read them?

Chapter 1

The rain bounced off the pavement as Sam and Gene approached the scene where the body had been found. Sam felt sick, knowing the chance that this time it would be the one person they didn't want to find would be the one laying dead in a shallow grave.

"Guv." Ray approached them as Chris and Shaz began interviewing witnesses. Annie looked as she if she could be sick at any time.

"What we got?" Gene tried to focus.

"White female, late twenties. Not her. It's not Alex."

"Are you sure?" Sam asked as he watched his wife kneel down looking at the dead woman.

"Yeah." Ray nodded. "Description fitted. Apart from the age bracket but it's not her."

"Description?" Gene snapped.

"Female, white, brown hair, shoulder length. Five foot seven." Ray repeated the description he had been given less than an hour earlier. "Only it's not her."

"Who is it then?" Sam shrugged. He had no idea why he felt relieved that the body wasn't that of his friend, when he knew another family were going to be plunged in to the Hell of knowing a loved one had been murdered. Annie approached them, clutching her arms across herself.

"Looks like she was strangled." Annie frowned. "Poor girl."

Gene nodded. His heart hammered in his chest as he thought about his wife. It had supposed to have been a routine undercover job but now she had been missing for almost two months. Seven weeks, fourteen days and sixteen hours he reminded himself.

"Ray, you Shaz and Chris sort this out. Annie, liaise with the forensics. Time and exact cause of death asap." Gene glared. Annie nodded as Sam closed his eyes. He had no idea what Gene was going through but they now had a murder to deal with as well as a missing officer. Gene marched back to the Blood red Audi, leaving his team to start their tasks. Annie shook her head sadly.

"We have to find her." Sam nodded. He knew the whole team were in limbo but Gene and the children were going through Hell.

"We will." Sam stated firmly. "We have to. For him."

Xxxxx

A/N please review


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Annie walked towards the forensic science lab unsure how she should be feeling. A young woman was dead. Left to rot in a ditch. She shook her head, heartbroken at the thought of the young woman and her family, yet knowing it wasn't Alex in that ditch had been a relief. That made her feel incredibly guilty.

"DC Tyler?" She nodded as she realised the older woman was watching her.

"Hi."

"Come in out of the night air, you'll catch your death. Irony not intended." The older woman ushered her in to the foyer of the building. "Tea? Coffee?"

"Tea. Please." Annie smiled, glad to have something to drag her thoughts away from her friend. "DCI Hunt is running the investigation. Any news?"

"I'm running a toxicology screen on her now. Oh and she was pregnant."

"Oh my God." Annie sat down. "Cath, how far along was she?"

"Not sure. Early days. We have the blood tests back but that's all." Cath looked at her tea. "Any news on your friend?" Annie shook her head.

"No. This Jane Doe fitted her description." She looked up. Cath nodded, understanding that the team she had come to know were suffering. Alex was a big part of Fenchurch CID, not just as Gene's wife and Annie's best friend but to the others to. She silently prayed her friends wouldn't be in limbo for much longer.

"You drink your tea. I'll see if the bloods are back."

She headed out of the foyer as Annie bit her lip.

Xxxxxxxx

"Right. Ethel." Gene marched from the car towards the station as Sam followed him. "Annie is at the lab, Shaz and the lads are doing the donkey work."

"I know." Sam nodded. "Gene."

"It wasn't her." Gene stated as he turned to face his friend. "She's been gone over two months."

"Yes."

"It's my fault."

"And how do you work that out?" Sam followed him up the stairs to the CID office. Gene swore under his breath.

"I'm the Guv. I shouldn't av let her go. I should av told Lytton to get stuffed. Risk his own team, not mine." Gene slammed the door open. "Sammy, I should have kept that prat out of my department."

"You tried. The Chief Super overruled you."

"Since when did that stop me?" Gene headed towards his inner office, avoiding looking at Alex's desk. His heart clenched as he thought of her, knowing they had argued the last time they had been together. He hoped he would get the chance to make up with her. He ignored Sam as the phone on his desk began to ring. He froze as he listened to the caller as he watched Sam approach.

"Where are you?" Gene felt his stomach lurch. "Bolly? Bolly? Talk to me luv." He heard a gasp as the line went dead.

"Gene?"

"She's alive Sam!" Gene snapped as he grabbed his car keys. "She's alive."

Xxxxxx

A/N please review


	3. Chapter 3

Alive

"Sammy boy. She's alive. Alex, my Bolly." Gene clapped both hands against Sam's shoulders. Sam smiled.

"Alex called?"

"Yes. Yes Sammy, she did." Gene was clearly relieved and ecstatic.

"What did she say?"

"Nowt."

"She didn't say anything?" Gene nodded as Sam raised an eyebrow. "Gene? How do you know it was her?"

Gene resisted the urge to punch the wall as he realised Sam was right. "I know. Ok."

"How?"

"The same way you would know if it were Annie missing." Gene slumped against the wall. "Sam. It has to be her."

Sam nodded, he understood the fear in Gene's mind. The longer Alex was missing, the greater the chance was that she was dead. He knew they were already looking for a murderer. Now that Lytton's team had been taken off the case it was up to them to clear up the mess and find Alex. Gene ran a hand across his face.

"It has to be her."

"If it is, there's a chance she'll ring again." Sam sat on the floor next to him.

"Aye Sam. That's true." Gene huffed.

Xxxxxxx

Annie walked towards her car deep in thought. She missed her friend, her heart broke for the Hunt children. It just didn't seem fair when Molly had been through so much already in her young life. Unlocking the car she subconsciously checked the back seat of her car before getting in. She jumped as her mobile phone started ringing.

"Hello?" She frowned as the caller remained silent. "DC Tyler. Who is this?" She frowned, wishing one of the lads were with her. A sob could be heard on the end of the line. "Alex? Is that you?" The call ended as Annie swore. Putting the car into gear she headed back to the police station.

Xxxxxxxx

Ray shook hands with the older woman before heading back to where Chris was leaning against the car.

"Alright?"

"No Chris. Very not alright." He got in the driver's seat. Chris sighed, climbing into the passenger side.

"Still no word from the Guv?" Chris asked. "Annie?"

"Nah. That old girl says she saw nothing. It's only her house that looks over the murder scene." Ray started the car. "How does a killer manage to select and kill his victim without him being seen by anyone? I don't get it. I just don't get it."

Chris shook his head sadly as he watched his friend drive. He knew everyone was worried about Alex. A coppers copper, a Mum and the wife of their boss. The sensible, stable one. The balm to Gene's brashness. He sighed heavily as he brought his thoughts back to the girl in the mortuary.

"We dunno where Alex is and we still dunno who the dead girl is."

"Yeah, I know."

"Well someone must be missing her the way we are all missing Alex. No one is an island, Ray."

"You've been listening to Shaz too much. Where is she anyway?" Ray frowned.

"Talking to the uniform who called in the dead girl." Chris explained. "I'll call her." He took his mobile from his pocket ready to call her. "Weird."

"What is?" Ray drove.

"Three missed calls. All from an unknown number. I never get calls from unknown numbers."

"Must be someone cold calling about PPI."

"Dunno. I'll ring Shaz." He presses the speed dial for his wife's number as Ray carried on driving. Something was going on, he just had no idea what.

Xxxxxxx


	4. Chapter 4

Contact?

Shaz drove back towards the police station thinking about the dead woman they had found hours earlier. She knew that she would spend the next few hours going through the databases looking for a missing female that could maybe be the dead woman. The thought that Alex, ma'am would be on one of the databases made her stomach churn. The sound of the phone ringing distracted her as she pressed the button for hands free.

"DC Grainger." She had already known it would be Chris on the other end of the line. "Any luck?"

"That would be a big fat no." Ray chimed in before Chris had a chance to speak.

"Same ere. No one saw anything. No one heard anything and no one knows anything. Someone is lying and it's doing me ed in." Shaz sighed.

"I know." Chris paused. "You had any missed calls?"

"Today? No. Don't think so." She turned the car onto the High Street, glad that the police station was less than five minutes away. "Why?"

"I have had three. They can't all be Ppi."

"Oh they are a nuisance." Shaz sympathised with her husband. "I'm almost at the station. Where are you?"

"Five minutes away." Chris answered as Ray drove in silence. Both men feeling decidedly uneasy about the apparent coincidence of the calls and the dead woman's likeness to Alex.

Xxxxxxxxxx

"Right." Gene stood with his hands on his hips staring at the map he had Viv drag out of the archives. " Where the 'ell did you get this from? 1983?"

Viv raised an eyebrow. He knew the Guv was only venting but he didn't want to be the one on the receiving end.

"Yeah. It's old but we do have maps online now." Viv watched as Gene muttered something about technology as Shaz and Annie both marched onto the office. Annie looked on the verge of tears as Shaz bounced in behind her.

"Chris had three missed calls. He never had them before."

Gene huffed, wondering exactly what Alex was trying to tell them. And why she wasn't actually speaking to anyone when she did call. Sam began drawing on the map as Viv and Annie strained to see what he was doing. "Sam?"

"She has to have access to a phone. For some reason she isn't able to talk but she is trying to get a message to us."

"Why can't she talk?" Chris frowned as Annie and Sam looked at each other. Ray glared at him as Gene walked back to his office.

"Dunno." Ray glared ."But She is trying to make contact."

"Question is, where is she?" Sam looked at the map as he tried to work out what his friend was trying to tell them. He circled the position on the map that showed where the station was, Chris and Shaz's house and his own. "Ray? Get the Guv. Now. I think I know what she was trying to tell us. Just hope I'm not too late."

Xxxxxx


	5. Chapter 5

Hope

"What!" Gene barked as he left his office. "Ethel? What have you got?" He clapped his hands together as Sam shook his head. Avoiding the gaze of the man he regarded as a brother he pointed to the crosses he had marked on the map.

"Eh?" Chris was equally bemused .

"Chris and Shaz live here." He pointed to Jessop Lane on the map. "Luigi's bistro is here."

Annie smiled before picking up a red marker pen and ruler.

"I see what you're saying."

"Wish I bloody did!" Gene snapped.

"Guv." Annie rested a hand on her husband's wrist. "Alex is calling each one of us seemingly randomly but it's not really random at all." She drew a line between the points Sam had marked. Ray swore as Shaz smiled.

"She's not saying anything though." Gene looked lost.

"Reception there is awful for most networks." Chris scratched his head. "Never get a decent signal." Ray rolled his eyes. Sam nodded.

"Perhaps She doesn't have enough time? Battery?" Annie folded her arms. Gene closed his eyes.

"Perhaps she can't talk because of what they dun to er." Gene spoke quietly, his stomach lurching at the thought they were too late. That Alex had been trying to make contact and they'd failed her. He'd failed her.

"So, if we mark all the addresses of those who have had calls." Sam pointed to each before drawing a line from one to the other.

"Told you my Bolly is a genius." Gene clapped his hands together as Annie smiled.

"Yeah. She is." Shaz grabbed her car keys. Gene nodded as he pointed at the red mark where the lines connected. "Tidewall Bank. She's there."

Sam nodded. "It's been closed for nearly a year. Left to rot when the head office closed it. Infrastructure should still be there."

Gene swore. "An airtight vault would block a phone signal." He grabbed his car keys before marching out of the office. "SAM! RAY! WIV ME!"

Annie ushered Shaz and Chris out of the office knowing they had to be right. None of them knew how much time Alex could have left.

Xxxxxxxxx

It was cold. That was the first thing she realised as she found herself on the cold polished floor. She knew none of her team knew where she was. Lytton had messed up; left her exposed and now she was trapped. She closed her eyes praying that the mobile phone she had stolen from her captors wouldn't be missed. Hiding it in a small gap in the skirting board she hurried back to the corner of the room she had been dumped in earlier. Her captors had finished with her for the day; but she could never be sure. Laying on the freezing cold floor she thought about her children, about Gene and knew she had to risk everything to get back to them. "Hold on. Gene, please hold on." She thought as the cold bit through her and the dark claimed her once more.

Xxxxxx

The apparently deserted building was in darkness as Gene slammed the breaks on his precious Audi. "Right then, Sammy boy. Raymundo."

"Guv." Ray and Sam exchanged worried glances.

"Sam, get hold of Chris and the girls. Tell em to wait out ere. Ray, wiv me."

"Gene." Sam warned as Gene got out the car. Gene raised an eyebrow.

"Just gonna av a quick shufty that's all. Ray. You go round the front. She's in there. She as to be." Gene marched away as Sam nodded, hoping his theory was right.

Xxxxx


	6. Chapter 6

A chance?

Gene desperately wanted a cigarette or a whiskey. His nerves on edge as he and Ray walked towards the rear of the building.

"Locked." Ray stated as he tried a door. "Thats where the ole in the wall used to be. Reinforced steel. No one is getting in or out that way."

Gene grunted. "As to be another way."

Ray nodded. He thought of Maya at home with their son. He had no idea what Gene was going through and didn't ever want to come close to finding out.

"Me an Bolls got locked in a vault once. Weren't even seeing each other back then. Mad as a box of frogs." Gene stepped towards an old fire escape. "Thought I was destined to be saddled with bonkers fruitcakes for DI's."

"I know Guv. I remember." Ray smiled at the memory of them both arguing in the office. Alex had been one of the few people to see the man behind the facade and Ray knew his old friend was already grieving. "Guv?"

"Raymondo."

"The fire escape? Look it's locked."

"It's an abandoned building. I doubt they that concerned about fire regulations." Gene barked. Ray nodded.

"But look. The lock is yale. Breakable. We can use the door knocker on that. It's going to be easy enough to smash in." He began to feel more optimistic than he had in a long time. "We have to get in there."

Gene nodded. He wasn't going to argue with Ray. "Call Chris, tell im to bring the door knocker. In the meantime me and Sammy are going to find another way in." Ray nodded as he pulled his phone out of his pocket. He just prayed his hunch was right.

Xxxxx

"Annie?" Shaz pushed her foot to the accelerator as Annie sat in the passenger seat.

"Shaz."

"This is going to be tough. If it is Ma'am making those calls then why can't she say anything? Who has her? Are they connected to the girl we found dead? There's too many questions."

Annie nodded. "Well, it's time we had some answers. You know Alex. She's a good copper. There could be a million different reasons why she can't talk on the phone."

Chris ended his call as Annie's phone rang.

"God I ate mobiles." Shaz mumbled. Annie smiled at her as she took the call. A moment later she thanked the caller before ending the call.

"That's one question answered. The dead girl is 27 year old Tasha Lane. Her ex boyfriend just walked into the station and confessed to killing her. Nothing to do with Alex."

"Scumbag." Chris frowned. His long legs making him look like a giant squashed in a metal box rather than a tall man in a small car. "Ow anyone can raise a hand to a woman? Dunno."

"Because, Chris you are a nice bloke." Annie sighed as he went on to explain why Ray had called. She felt her stomach lurch, the thought of finding her friend injured or worse made her want to be physically sick. Silently she prayed they weren't too late.

Xxxxxx

Gene kicked at a door as Sam suggested they wait for back up. Gene didn't answer, just kicked it again with all his might. Sam shook his head hoping the cavalry were on their way - that Ray had asked for uniforms back up as well as the door knocker. He had a feeling he hadn't. Gene swore, taking out his gun he aimed at the lock, narrowing his eyes as the door splintered apart.

"It's ok Bolly. I'm coming." He whispered before kicking the door open and heading inside.

Xxxxx

A/N please review


	7. Chapter 7

Broken

Gene swore under his breath as he felt the door give way under his kick. He knew that his joints were going to protest the next morning. In that moment he didn't care. All that mattered. All that ever could matter was finding Alex. He knew she was in the building somewhere, that the disused bank would have somewhere where a psychopath could hide a hostage. He just had to figure out where.

"Bloody Nora!" He hissed as he turned to see Ray walking in behind him.

"You aren't doing this on your own. We don't know if Alex is here for certain. We don't know if this is another dead end. A trap. Could be anything. Chris and the girls are on the way."

Gene narrowed his eyes. "I know all that! Why, Raymondo do you think I wanted you on the outside? You av a kid at 'ome. Needs his dad."

"Could say the same to you. Three kids, remember? Molly, Ruby and Max." Ray countered. "I'm not 'ere as a DS. I'm ere as your mate. And Alex's." Ray held the larger man's gaze. Gene grunted, knowing that there really was no way he could answer that.

"Right then. Don't get killed. That's an order."

"Yes, Guv." Ray smirked, glad that Gene couldn't see him properly in the dark.

xxxxxxxx

 _What the?_ Alex opened her eyes, listening intently. She knew hypothermia was more than likely setting in. She had been moved so many times since finding herself in the boot of a car that she wasn't really sure what was real and what was her imagination any more. A single tear crept down her face as she prayed her stolen mobile phone and her ability to remember numbers had helped save her. She sniffed, unsure if she had heard footsteps on metal. _Please be Gene. Please find me, Gene. I can't do this for much longer. I need you to work it out._ Her eyes fell closed as the combination of cold, fear and the drugs in her system took hold.

xxxxx

"Annie." Sam jogged towards the car as Shaz parked it. "Gene and Ray are in there."

"Oh great," Chris rolled his eyes. "Don't need the door knocker then."

"Not the point." Annie waved him away. "How?"

Sam shrugged. "Don't need a warrant of there is a risk of life being in danger. You know that. So does Gene." Annie nodded. She knew the legalities behind search warrants. She was in no mood to discuss the possible consequences of just barging into the disused bank.

"Back up is on the way." She stepped past her husband who ran a hand through his hair. He knew it was the best lead they had on Alex's whereabouts since her disappearance. What he didn't know was how and why it had suddenly been so easy for them to find her. He turned, following Annie and the junior officers. He didn't know what was going to greet him inside the disused building but he was damned if Annie was going to face it without him.

"Annie, Shaz."

"We can't just wait out ere. Ma'am could be in there." Shaz stated firmly as Chris and Sam followed her and Annie into the building.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Gene held his gun loosely at his side, memories of Layton and Chas Gale hit him as he walked through the damp rooms on what they supposed had been the office area of the bank. Ray didn't like the dark, too many variables seemed to be at play. He narrowed his eyes as he headed towards the stairs.

"Ray?"

"Guv, she is hardly going to be up ere. Something was damaging that signal getting through. Up ere." He shrugged. "It would have had no problem."

Gene nodded, seeing his reasoning. He felt a surge of hope fill his chest as he marched towards the stair case. Ray hadn't given up hope, so he wouldn't either. Not until they knew for certain. He had to find her. She had to be somewhere in the building. It was just a matter of time.

xxxxxxxxxxx

Alex was groggy, unable to open her eyes but aware of what was happening. Strong arms lifted her up as if she was a rag doll before juggling her in his arms. She tried not to groan in pain. It was happening again. It was time for her interrogation an this time, she knew. This time she wasn't going to survive.

xxxxxxxxx

"Ssh!" Shaz snapped as a noise caught her attention. Sam fell silent as all eyes fell on the petite police officer. "I definitely eard something."

Chris nodded. He hadn't wanted to point it out but there had definately been some sort of noise. "Its there again." Annie swore before running towards the direction the noise was coming from. Chris and Sam followed as Gene barrelled into Shaz.

"We got something." She explained as she half pushed the burly man towards the direction Annie and Chris had disappeared. Gene grunted once before following his officers. He just prayed his team were right.

xxxxxxxxx

A/N please review


	8. Chapter 8

So close?

Sam felt sick, the air growing damp and stale as he followed the others deeper into the bank. He knew Gene was a powder keg, ready to explode with fury and fear once they found whoever had taken Alex. Part of him knew his friend was most likely dead; there had been no more silent phone calls since Chris had told them about his. He prayed it meant the phone battery had stopped working but he also knew it was just as likely her heart had stopped.

"Bloody Hell." Ray hissed as he followed Gene through the dark corridors. The silence was almost deafening as he sensed the doom that was almost settled on them. He knew if Alex was in the building there was a very real possibility that she would be dead or so gravely injured that there was no way she was going to be the same Alex they had all known and loved. Gene stalked forwards, his boots hitting a staccato beat as he caught up with Sam.

"Ethel."

"Chris and the girls have headed left towards the vaults. If Alex was having problems with a phone signal, chances are she was at lease there when she phoned." Sam explained Shaz' theory as Gene grunted.

"All the doors are damaged or open."

"Guv." Sam frowned.

"The doors." Gene looked at his best friend as if he was seeing him for the first time. "Upstairs, third floor. Completely abandoned and unused since the bank staff were moved out."

"Yeah." Ray agreed. "The doors either left open or ripped off by vandals. Same ere, apart from that one." He nodded towards the metal edged door a few feet away. "That looks new to me."

Gene grunted in agreement before marching towards it.

Xxxxxxx

"She was here." Chris frowned as he looked at the bloodstained floor and the smashed iPhone. Shaz covered her mouth with one hand. She felt sick at the sight of the blood. Annie knelt to examine the small smart phone.

"Screen has been stamped on by the looks of things." She paused. "Not completely broken though." She picked it up gingerly as the signal bar registered that there was a slight signal. "No passcode."

"Old too. Isn't it the original type?" Chris asked. Annie nodded.

"iPhone 3."

"Practically obsolete. That could be why there was hardly any signal. She has to be here somewhere." Shaz looked around as Annie scrolled through the calls list.

"My number, Sam, Gene, Work. She's used this phone. She's here." Annie sighed. "Or at least she was."

"And if that Blood is hers then she's not long left." Chris pointed to the drops of fresh blood on the concrete floor. Shaz nodded, the baby of the team more determined than ever to find her mentor. Annie fought the urge to be sick. Thoughts of Molly and the little ones sprang into her mind. She didn't know what she would say to he godchildren if they didn't find Alex soon. Chris tapped her shoulder.

"Cmon. This is good. This is a lead." He smiled. Annie nodded, hoping he was right.

Cxxxx


	9. Chapter 9

Hope?

"Can you still get iPhone 3? I've not seen one in years." Chris frowned as he placed the now destroyed handset into the plastic evidence bag. Annie raised an eyebrow.

"Clearly."

"I mean was this brought in here new or was it just hanging around? We know it doesn't belong to Alex." He turned, trying not to imagine how terrified his friend had to be. Shaz glared as she tried to fit the clues together.

"She has to be here." Shaz paced the small room. "Wiv that door closed its airtight. Getting a signal on the phone would have been a nightmare. Never mind trying to breathe and not panic."

Chris nodded. "So, it looks like she was here and we can't be far away from her or the abductor now." He suddenly felt sick. "Shaz, Annie."

"I know." Annie stepped towards the entrance. "We know where she was. Just have to find out where she is."

Xxxxxxxx

Alex was numb. There was nothing she could do to stop the incessant noise and violence of the man who had brought her into the room. She was exhausted , almost wishing that her inevitable death would come. There was no way she was going to tell these men anything. At the end of the day she was a copper. There was no way she could ever betray her friends, Gene. She forced herself to think about the brash, loud man she had fallen in love with. He was everything her ex husband could never be, there was no way she was going to betray his loyalty. She felt her pulse quicken as the man seemed to pause in his onslaught.

"What was that?"

"You're getting paranoid." The wiry man hissed. "No one there."

Alex tried to focus. She hasn't heard anything other than the voices of her captors. Then it was there. Again. Footsteps. Sharp, Staccato beats on the floor. Half of her was afraid to hope, to dare to think help could be on the way. Another part of her wished it wasn't Gene. She wished he was anywhere else, with their babies. With Molly, Ruby and Max. She needed him to be safe. Them to be safe.

"About time someone came to look for you eh? Posh?" Alex remained still , deciding pretending to be unconscious was probably the best thing she could do. Her head connected with the floor as she silently prayed that someone was coming to help her. A sharp thump against the door followed by another.

Xxxxx

"Gene!" Sam yelled as his friend's cowboy boots hit the metal door. The sound seemed to ricochet around the halls. The door shuddered under the weight of Gene's left boot.

"Guv!" Ray shouted. "Chris brought the door knocker wiv im !"

"Right." Gene took the metal contraption from Ray before battering the door. In two knocks the once strong door was on its hinges. Gene barrelled through it, practically knocking the smaller kidnapper aside. Ray caught the younger man, forcibly dragging him out of the room where Shaz and the others were waiting.

"You!" Annie snapped as Ray hauled the man.

"You know im?"

"Aye and do you. Louis Layton. Arthur Layton's younger brother." Annie fought the urge to slap the now laughing man. "You better pray my mate is ok." Her voice dangerously low. Ray didn't recognise the venom in her voice.

"I'll get im outta ere. Backup should be outside." He dragged the younger man away while yelling his rights in his ear. Annie braced herself for what could be behind the door.

"Shaz. Go with Ray."

"Annie."

"Now!" Annie snapped, uncharacteristically taking charge of the situation. Shaz nodded before walking away. Chris silently thanked Annie that Shaz had been sent to safety before following Sam into the room.

"Oh my God." Chris gasped as he saw Sam trying to contain a much larger man. Gene had ignored everyone- punching the larger man aside before heading to where Alex lay. Chris and Annie set about helping Sam arrest the unknown man as Gene knelt next to Alex.

"Bolly? Open your eyes." Gene spoke firmly before reaching out to check for a carotid pulse. Her eyes snapped open as his fingers touched her skin. "Alex." He breathed her name as she smiled slightly.

"Gene." The word was barely a whisper as he scooped her up in his arms. For a moment she thought she was dreaming- Gene rescuing her a figment of her dying mind. It was only when she felt the heat from his body against hers. She felt herself relax as Gene held her. Moments later he carried her out towards the ambulance.

Xxxxx

A/N more soon x


	10. Chapter 10

Life?

Gene had come to the conclusion that as much as he thought the medics were amazing, he hated hospitals. He had felt his gut twist as he had found Alex laying on the floor. He had seen plenty of dead bodies in his time in the force but he had never imagined one of them could be the woman he loved. He slumped down in the plastic hospital chair as he waited for news. He knew it was only by luck that the Paramedics had allowed him to travel in the ambulance with him.

"Drink this." He heard Sam as he felt rather than saw a plastic coffee cup pushed towards him.

"Our Molly says these things are ruining the planet. Global warming." He took the cup.

"Just this once, don't tell her." Sam watched as Gene's eyebrow shot up.

"She's too like er mam. No way of hiding anything in my house."

Sam smiled, he knew the fifteen year old girl was more than able to handle her parents. She had been through so much at such a young age referring to the girl as a child seemed disingenuous. "She's a good kid."

"Aye." Gene nodded, wincing as the scalding liquid hit his throat. "What do I tell er, Sam? Her and the little uns. Max is too young but Ruby? She knows Mam is missing and she knows things aint right."

"The truth."

"Which is?"

"We found Alex and she is in hospital. Until we know more that is the truth." Sam set his own drink on the floor. "That's all you can tell anyone. Annie has gone to collect her and Ruby from school. Max is with Phyllis and our Danny."

Gene sighed. "She looked dead."

"But she isn't."

"Wasn't when we got ere. No bugger telling me anything though." Gene grumbled. Sam shrugged. He knew how frustrating waiting could be.

"It means they are still trying to help her. If there was something to tell the doctor would be here. You know that."

Gene nodded once. He knew the image of Alex on the stone floor would haunt his nightmares for years to come.

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Ray glared at the man opposite him. He knew Arthur Layton was dead. He had been the cause of so much misery in CID that Ray didn't even like to think of him. Now Lewis Layton was in front of him. It seemed surreal. Years earlier he, along with Sam had been the ones to arrest Layton for shooting Alex now he had arrested the younger brother for almost killing her, among other things.

"Benefit of the tape." Shaz stated as the tape and video recorder began to work. "DS Ray Carling and DC Sharon Skelton present. The interviewee is Lewis Layton who has so far declined legal representation." She sat next to Ray as the man sat opposite folded his arms and remained impassive.

"So," Ray began. "Shall we start at the beginning? What were you doing abducting anyone, let alone a serving police officer."

"No comment."

"That's original." Shaz yawned.

"Ok," Ray nodded. "How about, why her? What did you think you would achieve?"

"No comment."

"You, are starting to get right on me wick, you are." Ray snapped as Shaz glared at the other man.

"You're Arthur Layton's kid brother. I can guess why you targeted her. Finishing what he started. Only you couldn't do it. Could you? You couldn't finish what your brother started." Shaz leant forward. "We know you were the one responsible for all this. We know you believe DCI Hunt and DI Hunt are responsible for your brother going to prison and subsequently dying. But they're not. E did that. Not them." Lewis looked at the formica table top. "But you knew that. You just wanted to have someone suffer. To take the blame."

"So you kidnap, torture and half kill a woman. Yeah, big man you are." Ray snapped. "If I were you I'd consider having a lawyer. There's no way you are walking out of this police station today - apart from in a van to the cells."

"No. Comment."

"Waste of time." Shaz narrowed her eyes. "She's alive. You know that? You didn't win." She pushed her chair back from the desk as Ray concluded the interview. Glancing at his friend he hoped she was right. After everything that had happened over the previous weeks he knew there was no way his friend would cope if Alex had died. In that moment he prayed she was ok, knowing the effect that it would have on his oldest friend if she wasn't.

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A/N if you are reading, please review


	11. Chapter 11

Wait

Gene looked up as the door to the waiting room opened. Molly rushed in, practically running into his arms. He hugged the teenager as Annie appeared behind her.

"I left the little ones with Phyllis but there was no way she was going to let me leave without her."

"Moll." He admonished her.

"Mum. You found Mum." Molly tried to hide the fear in her voice as she spoke. She knew her stepfather still thought of her as the little girl he had met when he had started dating her mother. "You don't have to talk to me like I'm Ruby's age. I'm fifteen."

"I know kid." Gene stepped back as he appraised her.

"Dad."

"The doctors and nurses told us to wait ere." Gene explained. "They're looking after her now."

"Ok. But she's alive." Molly stated rather than asked. Gene nodded.

"Yeah, kid. She was last I saw her." He took her hand, leading her to the seats where Sam and Annie had sat down. The young couple were deep in discussion with each other, barely noticing the father and daughter had joined them.

"She is going to be ok? I mean Mum has been hurt before. Shot in the head and she was ok eventually."

"Yeah, she was." Annie agreed as the teenager spoke. Gene nodded.

"So, this is no different."

"She has been missing a lot longer this time." Gene spoke calmly. "Molly, the doctors and nurses will do their best for her. You know that."

Molly appraised him quietly. She knew he was not the type of man to mince his words. Gene was scared. That meant she had enough evidence to know she should be worried too. For a moment she thought of Ruby and Max, wondering if they would get to have the relationship with their Mum that she had. She bit her lip, letting her hair fall over her face as she looked at her phone. A text message from Wes appeared just at the right moment. She rested her head against Gene's arm as they settled to wait for any news.

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"Honestly." Shaz walked back into the CID office as she spoke. Ray was a few steps behind her, still running the interview over in his mind. Chris looked up from his computer as they arrived.

"Anything?"

"Nah." Ray flopped down in his chair. "He's not saying anything. Cocky little git."

"He's as guilty as sin." Shaz headed into the kitchenette at the side of the office, re-emerging with a coffee in one hand. "I don't know why he's giving us the silent treatment."

"Because he's a control freak." Ray snapped. "Like his brother."

"Any news? From the hospital." Shaz sipped her coffee as Chris shook his head.

"No." Chris yawned. "Annie said she would ring as soon as there was something to tell us. Until then we are to treat the case like any other attempted murder."

"Only, its not. Is it." Ray sighed. "Its our Alex."

"Yeah." Shaz sighed. "I know."

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